Long perceived as an almost routine tool, direct mail has actually become a much more demanding exercise than it seems. Between developments “technical” detectors., vigilance increase aaround deliverability, more refined personalization expectations, pressure on performance… And Topicality CNIL Keep a close eye on this 👀Simply "sending an email" is no longer enough. Today, an effective email must simultaneously reach its destination, inspire trust, capture attention in seconds, and motivate action.
On the occasion of this We Are COM Club meet-up, Stephane GermainActivecom's CTO, came to bring some order to a subject where misconceptions, very real issues, and new areas of concern often intersect. Technical aspects, regulatory framework, personalization… we reviewed The key principles to adopt when designing mailings that are stronger, more readable and more effective. Do you want to know about optimization editorial What about your email campaign? CTA, subject line… 👉 Head over to our article and our checklist of best practices!
Current state of mailing:
Direct mail is the ultimate ROI channel, with a return on investment ranging between 3600% and 4200%Whether for prospecting or customer retention, professional emails benefit from a open rate approaching 20%, a significant figure when you consider that an internet user receives on average a little more than 7 emails per day.
And in the years to come? By 2027, the number of emails sent each day could exceed 400 billion, for a global market estimated at over 17 billion of dollars.
However, a growing danger is undermining this rather positive situation: phishing! This scam practice, which was still very crude a few years ago, has now been perfected to the point of deceiving even the most discerning minds. More than ever, in the age of AI, phishing threatens internet users and brands that fall victim to these email hackers.
Email marketing update – CNIL recommendation:
It's the hot topic right now! On April 14th, the CNIL published its latest recommendation, concerning The tracking pixel: a measure that will revolutionize digital marketing practices starting July 14th.
The tracking pixel, quesaco? Hidden within each mass email is a tiny, one-pixel image that loads automatically and informs the sending platform that the message has been opened. Ultimately, this pixel allows for real-time tracking of recipient behavior.
The CNIL's recommendation is a game-changer: pixel tracking will be subject to consent. In other words, only recipients who have previously given their agreement can be tracked. Customers and prospects, B2B and B2C… To be compliant, brands must now systematically collect consent from contacts in their databases.
From July onwards, three recipient profiles will coexist: those who consent, those who do not consent, and those awaiting consent. Only the first group will be traceable.
To preserve database hygieneAn exemption is provided: brands will be able to measure the deliverability of their mailings to identify inactive contacts, even without consent to the tracking pixel.
Another exception concerns the so-called “expected” communicationsExamples include transactional emails, order confirmations, and password resets. For these types of messages, tracking will still be possible, as it depends directly on the recipient's wishes.
The fundamentals of email marketing:
Faced with increasingly strict email filters, email campaigns must now be flawless, both technically and in terms of content. Reaching the final destination—the inbox—is a real uphill battle.
The technical fundamentals
From a technical point of view, impeccable quality depends on three authentication mechanisms, invisible parameters that are found in the header of your emails.
- Le SPF allows you to declare an IP address as authorized to route from your domain name.
- Le DKIM corresponds to a cryptographic signature system.
- Finally, the DMARC authenticates a message by verifying the validity of its SPF and DKIM.
Good to know: email platforms have significantly tightened their authentication rules in recent years. As a brand, it's therefore essential to (re)configure these systems correctly to ensure your messages are delivered successfully.
Finally To optimize your authentication, attach subdomain names to your main domain name.For a long time, some strategies involved using a single, dedicated domain name and then switching to another one as soon as its reputation deteriorated. This approach is now outdated, since it is the overall reputation that is now evaluated.
The fundamentals of deliverability
When an email is sent, the sender's server contacts the recipient's server, which accepts or rejects the message: this response is what determines deliverability. In B2C, the process is relatively simple via internet service providers. However, in B2B, it becomes much more complex due to the numerous filters and security systems internal to companies.
Furthermore, with AI-based filtering systems, it is now even more difficult to know if an email actually reaches its destination. In short, We can know if a message is accepted for delivery, but we cannot guarantee or precisely measure its final receipt.
The fundamentals of conception and design
The essential element in terms of conception and design is responsiveToday, more than half of all emails sent are opened on smartphones. That's why email marketing absolutely must be designed with a "mobile-first" approach: CTAs large enough to be clicked with a thumb, fonts adapted to small screens, images optimized for fast loading…
More than a fundamental, accessibility has become a legal obligation. So remember to pay attention to your contrasts, adapt the size of your fonts and structure your HTML semantically.
More difficult to master, dark mode This remains a challenge. Many messaging environments do not yet fully support CSS, which can lead to renderings that are sometimes inaccurate or even archaic.
And finally, think about the clear design, for a more spacious layout. Sub-sections, clearly visible titles, highlighted elements, colors used sparingly, easily identifiable CTAs… Everything must contribute to a quick and efficient reading experience.
The fundamentals of content strategy
A successful email campaign relies on good content, delivered to the right person at the right time. This rule is well-known, yet always worth repeating. To optimize your content, start by optimizing:
- The segmentation It must be clean! We can never talk enough about database hygiene: CRM data, consented data, behavioral data…
- The object and the pre-header Even before the content of an email, what triggers the opening of a message is its subject line and preheader. These two elements must immediately pique the recipient's curiosity and make them click.
- Customization With precise segmentation, messages can be personalized. Therefore, adapt your tone to your target audience.
The fundamentals of the sending strategy
A mailing campaign almost always experiences a peak opening within two hours of sending. Once this observation is made, it is essential to go further, by skillfully identifying the time slots when your target audience is most likely to open your messages, based on their habits and personas.
Regarding follow-ups, I would recommend postpone sending by a few days while varying the time slotsAlternating between morning and afternoon allows you to adapt to different reading habits and increases the chances of reaching the recipient at the right time.
The fundamentals of automation
Did you know that 37% of sales generated through direct mail came from automation. Automation allows us to move from mass mailings to much more individualized journeys. It's a funnel-like process that gradually guides the recipient through different sequences.
Starting from a starting point — typically a welcome email — it is possible to deploy different scenarios depending on the behaviors: opening, clicking, inaction… Each interaction allows the contact to be directed towards a new step.
Whether linear or conditional, with restarts or loops, these fully automated sequences give rise to More relevant, more targeted campaigns… And above all, more effective!
Key takeaways?
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